Sam Francis was an American artist known for his exuberantly colorful, large-scale abstract paintings. His practice incorporated elements from Abstract Expressionism, Color Field painting, Impressionism and Eastern philosophy to create a unique style of painterly abstraction.
Influenced by Jackson Pollock and Clyfford Still, Francis is more closely associated to the work of Helen Frankenthaler, as he was more interested in the formal arrangement of the picture plane than the expressivity of the individual artist. “Painting is about the beauty of space and the power of containment,” Francis once reflected.
Born on June 25, 1923 in San Mateo, California, Francis briefly served in the US Air Force during World War II but was injured during a test flight. Returning to California, he received his BA and MA from UC Berkeley in botany and psychology before beginning to pursue a career in art. The artist traveled widely during his career, and he was closely aligned with the Art Informel movement while living abroad in Paris during the 1950s.
Francis died on November 4, 1994 in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 71. He was a founding trustee of Los Angeles’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and his paintings can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Kunstmuseum Basel, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, among others.
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Abstract Sam Francis Artist Proof Lithograph
By Sam Francis
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Abstract Sam Francis (1923-1994) Artist Proof lithograph from the early 1960s. This piece was acquired in 1984 from the Smith Anderson Gallery. Fram...
Paper
Sam Francis, Colored Lithograph, Pink Venus, Proof of Artist
By Sam Francis
Located in Toledo, OH
Sam Francis (American, 1923-1994) was dubbed "the hottest American Painter in Paris" by Time magazine in 1956 for introducing his exciting, colorful style of abstraction. Francis, who was born in 1923, in San Mateo, started making art as part of his therapy while he was hospitalized for spinal tuberculosis during World War II. In less than a decade, he would be hailed as a celebrity in Paris for introducing an exciting, modern idea to the city, and eventually he would win international acclaim for his bright, colorful abstractions, which have been described as colored spaetzli, platelets, and protozoa. Sam Francis, Colored Lithograph paint splatters of blue, green, yellow and red with the names and initials of MA2, Kiki, Pink Venus...
Paper
$8,500 / set
H 32 in W 25 in D 1.25 in
Pair of John Gould Hand Colored Framed Lithographs Family of Toucans, Circa 1840
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair of John Gould hand colored framed lithographs family of toucans. "Pteroglossus Inscriptus" and " Pteroglossus Hypoglaurus" Each signed in plate. Printed by Charles Hullmandell. ...
Glass, Giltwood, Paper
Important Louis Icart Hand Colored Lithograph COA
By Louis Icart
Located in Dallas, TX
Louis Icart (French, 1888-1950) Dessin des Femmes, circa 1928 Hand-colored lithograph on paper of a nude female back side. Sheet: 17.5 x 13-1/2 inches...
Paper
Abstract Painting by Mexican Artist Leonardo Nierman
By Leonardo Nierman
Located in San Mateo, CA
Oil on board abstract painting by Leonardo Nierman (1932-2023). The painting is titled on the back City Abstracture (Compostion #28). There are remnants of an exhibition label. The s...
Masonite, Paint
Mid-century Modern Abstract Portrait Painting Signed Francis '60
Located in Miami, FL
Mid-century Modern Abstract Portrait Painting Signed Francis '60 Offered for sale is a vintage abstract 1960s Mid-century Modern portrait signed Francis on the canvas and dated "'...
Wood, Paint
Artist Abelardo Zaluar, Geometric Abstract Painting
Located in St. Louis, MO
Abelardo Zaluar (Brazilian, 1924–1987) Mid-Century Modern artist. This gem of a painting is titled "Arca" and is signed and dated 1973. Zaluar incorporation of the lines of the Baroq...
Acrylic
19th Century Victorian Colored Lithograph of Banquet
Located in Queens, NY
French Victorian (19th century) colored lithograph of 18th century banquet scene.
Paper
$550
H 33.38 in W 28.75 in D 1.5 in
Robert Gary Miller Native American Original Artist Proof Lithograph "Pauline"
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Robert Gary Miller "Pauline" ( Indigenous Canadian 1950-) 1990 signed and numbered 7/10 artist proof lithograph. Framed and matted. See our other items for more R.G. Miller paintings. Actual size- 22.5" H x 18.5" W, framed size- 33.38 H x 28.75 W About the Artist Robert Gary Miller-Lahiaaks was born in 1950 on the six nations...
Paper
Original Watercolor Artist Proof by Shan Merry Titled "Nevada"
Located in Miami, FL
This artwork titled "Nevada" is an original artist proof by noted French artist Shan Merry, born 1935. It is hand signed in pencil by the artist and marked AP under the signature. I...
Paper
Jan Loman Lithograph, Artist Proof, 1994
By Jan Loman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jan Loman (Bolsward, 1919-2006) Lithograph, Artist proof, signed, 1994 On mat-board Measure: Height 9" Width 12" Jan Loman was born in Bolsward in 1918 and passe...
Paper
$395
H 15 in W 11 in D 1 in
Original Kellogg & Comstock Hand-Colored Lithograph 'Shepherdess of the Alps'
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
Kellogg & Comstock SHEPHERDESS OF THE ALPS original Kellogg & Comstock hand-colored lithograph, Published by D. Needham (American, 1808 - 1888). Circa. 1848-1850. image: 12 in x 8 1/2 in; 30.48 cm x 21.59 cm. overall: 15 in x 11 in; 38 cm x 28 cm. Strong and clear impression, overall very good condition, paper has a light oxidation and restored small tear middle left side Framed, no glazing This hand colored print is of a young girl and two goats standing near a stream in a forested area. The girl is wearing a knee-length dress with short puffed sleeves and long stockings. She is feeding a goat with flowers and grass from her apron. The original "Shepherdess of the Alps" appears to have been a play by Marmontel, which enjoyed great popularity in France, England, and America in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The play inspired numberous paintings and prints. See Paul Grigaut,"Marmontel's Shepherdess of the Alps in Eighteenth Century Art," Art Quarterly (1949). The subject appears quite frequently in schoolgirl art...
Paper
Harley Francis 1980s Vintage Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas
By Harley Francis
Located in Miami, FL
Harley Francis 1980s vintage abstract oil painting on canvas Offered for sale is a 1980s vintage abstract oil painting on canvas by the late American artist Harley Francis (1940-2...
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Sam Tchakalian Lithograph, 1/10 Titled "Fort Ross"
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Sam Tchakalian (American, 1929-2004), "Fort Ross", lithograph, pencil signed lower right, edition 1/10, titled lower center, sheet unframed measures 29.5"wide, 22" high. Framed it...
Paper
Original, Registered, Sam Francis Painting
By Sam Francis
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A signed and dated, 1979, brightly colored, acrylic-on-paper artwork by internationally renowned American artist, Sam Francis. The piece is registered with the Sam Francis Foundation...
Acrylic, Paper
Sam Francis Abstract Monotype, 1980s
By Sam Francis
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1923-1994 A nice piece of modern art. This came from an estate in Century City Los Angeles. It sits loose in the original wood frame under acrylic. It was originally taped museum sty...
Sam Francis Abstract Lithograph 32/50
By Sam Francis
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Sam Francis (1923-1994) lithograph with a low number of releases. This one is 32/50 and it measures 36" wide and 53" high framed. Unframed it measures 30" wide and 46....